New York’s sharpest-tongued troubadour Brian Dunne is back with Clams Casino, his fourth solo album arriving September 5 via Missing Piece Records. Crafted entirely from his Red Hook, Brooklyn home, the album is a gritty blend of working-class blues and sleek late ’70s synth-rock. Think Paul Simon at a dive bar with Springsteen on the jukebox.
“Clams Casino” Single and Video Drop Today
The title track just landed, accompanied by a cinematic new music video that premiered on Rolling Stone. The mag didn’t hold back, calling the record “an indie-rock, Paul Simon-evoking gem.” The track explores the simple-yet-so-difficult pursuit of the good life. Dunne questions the price of modest dreams in a world that seems designed to keep you running in place.
Clams and Class Struggles
“I remember seeing the name ‘Clams Casino’ on menus when I’d go out to eat with my parents,” Dunne explains. “It’s what a working man thinks a rich man eats.” The song is a three-act play. The first verse laments working-class hardship. The second digs into shame. The final verse calls Dunne out for chasing after illusions. He admits that maybe we all just want what we can’t have.
A Record That Hits You in the Heart and Feet
Clams Casino doesn’t wallow in the dark. It punches through it. Dunne handles almost every instrument himself, pulling inspiration from classic rock’s analog warmth and layering it with late ’70s new wave flair. There’s no modern gloss, just raw soul and melodic muscle. This might be the most anthemic and emotionally charged collection in Dunne’s catalog.
New Single “Play the Hits” Already Turning Heads
Last month’s pre-release single “Play the Hits” is a gut-punch anthem about aging and the slow-burn of self-destruction. It caught the attention of Pitchfork and Rolling Stone alike. Building on the resilience of 2023’s Loser on the Ropes, this new material leans into acceptance. The fight is over. The bad guys won. So what now?
Tracklist for Clams Casino
- Clams Casino
- Rockland County
- Graveyard
- Play the Hits
- Fake Version of the Real Thing
- Some Room Left
- Gracie Mansion
- I Watched the Light
- Max’s Kansas City
- Living It Backwards
Fall 2025 Tour: Coast to Coast and Back Again
Brian Dunne is hitting the road with stops across the East Coast and Midwest. He’ll be lighting up NYC’s Mercury Lounge on release day, then swinging through Philadelphia, Nashville, Atlanta, and beyond. If his live energy is anything like the new album, you don’t want to miss this tour. Full dates and details are available at briandunnemusic.net/tour.
